Moderating inflation drives improved purchasing power while the air has been let out of software. 2025 earnings acceleration is an opportunity but ignoring risk mitigation mimics the turkey’s lifecycle.
🔒 Nestlé Purina buys manufacturing facility next to its Jefferson plant
St. Louis-based Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is expanding its manufacturing footprint in Jefferson with the purchase of a new manufacturing facility.
The company bought the former Timewell Drainage Products facility located at 201 W. Plymouth St. for $2.29 million, state records show.
The facility is located immediately southwest of Nestlé Purina’s existing manufacturing plant at 111 W. Plymouth St.
Earlier this year, Nestlé Purina announced plans to invest $195 million to expand its current facility and create 100 jobs.
While the amount of money Nestlé Purina is investing in Jefferson has increased since the company first made its expansion announcement in April, company representatives have declined to share an updated figure.
“I can confirm that Purina is investing more than $195 million as part of our expansion project in Jefferson, a place we have called home for nearly 115 years,” said Michael Zerman, communications specialist for the company. “Once complete, the project will increase our wet pet food production out of Jefferson by nearly 50% and add more than 100 new jobs to the region.”
Nestlé Purina did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the purchase of the former Timewell Drainage Products plant.
🔒 Glendale assisted living community sold for $17.4 million
An assisted living facility in Glendale has been sold for $17.4 million, according to state property records.
Known as Heartis Village North Shore, the 105-unit assisted living community was built by Chicago-based Pathway to Living in 2019 at 100 W. River Woods Parkway.
The property was acquired by an affiliate of Chicago-based investment firm Ventas. The firm owns more than 800 senior living communities nationally, including several in southeast Wisconsin, as well as other medical office buildings. It was sold by a Dallas-based entity called Heartis North Shore Partners LP.
Heartis Village North Shore offers 71 assisted living units ranging from studios to two bedrooms and 34 memory care studios, according to its website. Assisted living apartments start at $5,450 a month.
The 12-acre property has a 2023 assessed value of $10.8 million, according to Milwaukee County records.
RadUnity Corp. receives FDA clearance for its medical imaging software
Madison-based RadUnity Corp. has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its medical imaging software platform.
The startup can now legally market its Class II medical device while subject to the rules and regulations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
Medical imaging varies greatly within the health care industry. When CT images are reconstructed differently from scan to scan, it makes it harder for radiologists to figure out if changes in a patient’s disease or healing process are real, or the result of a different CT scanner being used.
RadUnity’s software-as-a-service platform controls the creation of images, making sure physicians have a consistent look and feel for imaging data for every patient.
RadUnity, a University of Wisconsin-Madison spinoff, collaborated with Innolitics and Asher-Orion Group LLC to validate its product with the FDA by collecting data across multiple sites.
“With this clearance, we’ve made a significant leap toward turning an academic concept into a practical clinical solution. This milestone will help us secure additional funding and expand our team. It brings us closer to fulfilling my goal of providing a solution that the community will embrace and use to improve patient care,” said Tim Szczykutowicz, founder of RadUnity.
While RadUnity can now legally market its device, the startup plans to develop additional product features before fully bringing its product to the masses.
“Depending on the nature of these developments, the company may need to work with the FDA again by sharing the changes to the existing device,” said a spokesperson for the company Monday.
$10.5 million taxiway project planned for Mitchell International Airport cargo facility
In preparation for construction of a new air cargo facility, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is pursuing a $10.5 million taxiway redevelopment.
Dallas-based Crow Holdings is developing a $75 million, 337,000-square-foot facility at the southwestern end of the airport, and once finished it is expected to quadruple the airport’s cargo capacity, according to CBRE, the firm that will market the finished property.
In order for the facility to be operational, though, the airport needs a new taxiway that is strong enough to accommodate the Boeing 777-8F airplanes carrying cargo in and out of the facility.
The airport bid out the taxiway project and is expecting it will cost $10.5 million to repair about 16 acres of pavement, according to a report filed with Milwaukee County.
Crow Holdings is providing the up-front funding to the county to construct the new taxiway. The county is pursuing approximately $6.6 million in federal grant funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $2.3 million in state funding. The developer is covering the county’s contribution to the grant and, once awarded, will be reimbursed with the federal and state funds.
Plans for the cargo facility were first unveiled in 2023, but earlier this year Crow Holdings moved to increase the size of the facility by about 50,000 square feet. The air cargo facility will have the flexibility to accommodate a variety of end users including pharma, cold-storage, Class-1 cargo, and livestock.
The project also includes a new garage for the Milwaukee County Highway Department.
The increased size of the project will allow for the simultaneous parking of up to five Boeing 777-8F, or equivalent sized aircraft, with a multi-use apron to handle added smaller plane capacity. These additions could potentially more than quadruple the airport’s current cargo capacity, according to a press release from Crow Holdings.
The 41-acre project site, located at 300 E. College Ave. in Milwaukee, northeast of Howell and College avenues on the southern end of the airport, was used by the 440th Airlift Wing of the U.S. Air Force Reserve from the mid-1950s until 2010, when the base was closed and the property was deeded back to Milwaukee County.
Mary C. Miske
The Equitable Bank welcomes Mary C. Miske to the Board of Directors. With over 30 years in tax accounting for financial institutions, including roles at Baker Tilly US and CIB Marine Bancshares, Mary brings valuable expertise to community banking.
NVidia Brings Holiday Cheer
Earnings season is over – NVidia’s big earnings show the growing presence of AI – including in John Deere’s new product line. Annex Wealth Management’s Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen discuss.
🔒 Pay it Forward: Local engineers Matthew and Amy Steindorf find shared passion for building community with Habitat for Humanity
While helping to build houses, Matthew and Amy Steindorf found a home with each other.
The pair of engineers, who have been married since October 2023, were dating when they first started volunteering together with Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity in 2017. Their construction volunteer work became a shared weekend activity for them to give back to their community in a hands-on way.
Their work with Habitat also allowed the couple to bond and build communication while they were dating, said Matthew Steindorf.
“We had times when we were out, it was 90 degrees outside and sunny, and we’re hot and we’re just bickering at each other because we’re tired,” he said. “I think working in that kind of environment has helped our relationship, too.”
Matthew Steindorf is a senior project engineer at Milwaukee Tool, while Amy Steindorf is an engineer III at Komatsu. They were each working for other companies when they started volunteering. Milwaukee Tool’s community involvement was partially what drew Matthew to his role four years ago.
The Steindorfs work at Habitat construction sites once or twice per month on Saturdays. Between the two of them, the couple has volunteered an estimated 1,500 hours with Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity.
In 2020, the Steindorfs purchased their own house. Through the skills they picked up while working on houses with Habitat, they repaired aspects of their new home themselves before moving in, Matthew Steindorf said, such as redoing the flooring and replacing baseboard trim.
“When we both started volunteering, we were living downtown in a rental, had no plans to buy a house or do anything like that,” he said. “After we volunteered for a couple years (for Habitat), we’re like, we could buy our own house. So (we) started paying attention … (to) what you want to see for drywall, or what good foundation walls should look like.”
Amy Steindorf said working beside homeowners and speaking with individuals affected by Milwaukee’s affordable housing shortage “really impacted me, and it keeps me coming back.” For the past few years, she has participated in Habitat’s summertime initiative, called Women Build, which encourages women to get involved with constructing affordable homes.
Matthew Steindorf said helping construct homes in Milwaukee builds communities “from the ground up.” With stable housing, people can gain steady employment that can allow them to support their families and set them up for success, he said. This, in turn, can create safer neighborhoods.
“I really believe that having a stable house that you can go back to at the end of the day, and your rent is not going to get jacked up, really sets you up for success in the other parts of your life,” Matthew Steindorf said.
Stephanie Endres
Stephanie’s innovative mindset and dedication to accuracy will be valuable assets as she helps streamline our accounting and administrative processes. We look forward to her contributions and the positive energy she brings! Welcome, Stephanie!
Lauren VenHousen
Lauren will oversee project timelines and ensuring seamless communication across teams. Her attention to detail, proactive approach, and ability to juggle multiple priorities will make her an invaluable asset to our team. Welcome, Lauren!
Kamie Rhyan
Kamie is a versatile professional with expertise in IT, Licensing, Fleet Management, and Employee Welfare. Her creative approach, strong collaboration skills, and professionalism make her a valuable asset to our team. Welcome, Kamie!
Donnie’s Bar to replace Angelo’s Piano Lounge off Brady Street
Donnie’s Bar at 1686 North Van Buren St. is expected to open on Dec. 20 to replace the former Angelo’s Piano Bar. The space on Milwaukee’s Lower East Side was home to Angelo’s for over 35 years before closing in early 2024.
Donnie’s Bar owner Donnie Dries describes the new venue as a “small, elegant martini bar with live music,” according to city documents.
The space on Van Buren was designed and renovated by Dries Painting and Restoration, a contracting company owned by Dries. Improvements to the space include new paint and flooring as well as some upgrades to the bathrooms.
Angelo Mortellaro, the original owner of Angelo’s Piano Lounge, passed away in 2016. Mortellaro’s son currently owns the building under Mortellaro Realty Co. LLC and Donnie’s Bar will operate as a tenant.
“In 1953, Frank Sinatra played at Angelo’s,” Dries wrote in an overview of Donnie’s Bar to the city. “With big shoes to fill, Donnie’s Bar wants to continue Angelo’s tradition of being a haven for all musicians. We want to continue the legacy of providing live music to a sophisticated audience.”
Donnie’s Bar will have live music, karaoke, and several game machines and will serve food like nachos, frozen pizza, and corndogs.
In 2023, Dries bought and renovated the former bar and restaurant Black Rose and Monster Pizza, located in adjacent buildings on North Oakland Avenue. Dries converted them to Baccara Bar and Cafe Terrazza, but both locations closed within six months of opening.
